Skip to main content

Punter Pat McAfee: 'I hope to be a Colt forever'

If your Saturday's off to a slow start, might we you offer the following news nugget on an NFL punter?

Pending free agent Pat McAfee, who's punted for the Colts since 2009, says he wants to remain in Indianapolis until the end of days.

"I hope to be a Colt forever," he told The Indianapolis Star this week, a desire general manager Ryan Grigson is aware of.

"Sometimes," said Grigson, "even if the guy wants to be here (and) his wife wants to be here, but then you've got Mr. Agent there in the corner saying, 'No, no, no. We've got to take you to market,' because there's a business side to this and I'm a realist and I know how, no matter what a player tells me, his agent is usually going to say something different."

Offseason Forecast: Indianapolis Colts

With the offseason under way, Around The League examines what's next for all 32 teams. Kareem Copeland covers the Colts. **More ...**

Grigson wasn't directly pointing to McAfee, but to the nature of free agency. Punters rank low in terms of public fascination, but McAfee looms as an important figure on special teams. Along with punts, McAfee handles kickoffs and holding chores on field goals. Again, tasks thought of as secondary, but go ask Tony Romo what a botched hold can mean to a franchise.

McAfee, 25, rocked a career-best 48.2 yards per punt in 2012 and remains a central cog on special teams. Just one more player the Colts must decide what to do with come March.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.